


Purse

by meglorraine



Series: November 2016 Prompts [5]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Niffler causeing trouble, What's new?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 11:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9121690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meglorraine/pseuds/meglorraine
Summary: Newt's journey to America was quite difficult due to a certain Niffler.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I did a month long writing challenge in November, this is from the 16th prompt "Purse."

Newt Scamander sat hunched over in his seat, head cocked to the side listening for any noises from his case. Traveling with a magical zoo in his suitcase was difficult enough, but his Niffler had learned how to mess with the locking mechanism. He really needed to fix that, but it was hard to find a quiet moment alone on a ship crossing the Atlantic. He was constantly surrounded by muggles and while they were pretty oblivious, it was also a very full boat.

“Hello.” a little girl said as she sat down next to Newt. He gave a curt nod and hoped the child would lose interest and go bother someone else. “You’re dressed funny.” she said matter of factly.

“I am dressed how I usually dress.” Newt replied, not intending to engage in conversation with her, it just slipped out.

“You’re clothes barely match.” The little girl argued.

“They match enough.” Newt replied, glancing down at the little girl. “Shouldn’t you be with your parents?” he asked, hoping to distract her.

“Nope. They wanted some alone time to talk below deck. Told me to go play or something.” The little girl shrugged.

* * *

While Newt was busy trying to get the little girl to go away he missed the tell tale sound that he had previously been listening for. One of the locks on his case had come undone. The case wiggled slightly. The leather stretched minutely as something pushed it’s way through the minuscule gap. First some claws, then a little pink snout, and out tumbled what looks like a cross between a platypus and a mole. It is a magical creature called a Niffler.

> _Nifflers are often kept by goblins to burrow deep into the earth for treasure. Thought the Niffler is gentle and even affectionate, it can be destructive to belonging and should never be kept in a house. Nifflers live in lairs up to twenty feet below the surface and produce six to eight young in a litter._

This Niffler sat just by Newt Scamander’s foot and sniffed the air. It could smell some shiny things nearby. It got up and followed it’s nose through the ship and into the mess hall.

* * *

Newt Scamander excused himself from the little girl under the pretense that he was feeling seasick and needed to lay down. He picked up his case and noticed that one of the latches was undone. He could feel a panic begin to rise, but stuffed it down. No time to panic. He was on a ship full of muggles potentially with a magical creature on the loose. He ducked into the mess hall first, hoping that if anything got out it would start causing trouble there.

He immediately noticed a woman digging around in her purse, like something was missing. He watched in slight horror as his Niffler scurried about the mess hall, stealing jewels from peoples shoes, fingers, wrists, ears, even necks. Anything shiny the Niffler picked up and stowed away in its pouch. The Niffler made it’s way across the room at steady rate, stealing jewelry and money as it went. It crawled into one womans purse as her back was turned to it, Newt lunged forward and grabbed the purse. He pulled the Niffler out and stuffed it in his coat pocket just as the woman turned back around. She stared at Newt holding her purse, “Uh …” he stammered for a lie. “Your purse fell off of the table.” he blurted out, handing it back to the woman. She smiled and gave her thanks as he hastily made his retreat.

Newt ducked under a set of stairs and pulled the Niffler out of his pocket, “You are a disaster.” He said, opening the case and placing the Niffler inside. “Now go back to your lair and stay there. Please.” The journey was almost over. They were almost in New York.


End file.
